Development plan · Dublin City Council
Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume 1: Written Statement (as varied by Variations Nos. 1–11)
The council's development plan written statement: its strategy, policies, objectives and development standards.
Dublin City Council · 2022–2028 · 696 pages
Ask this document
Answers come only from the text of Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume 1: Written Statement (as varied by Variations Nos. 1–11), each claim linked to its page. They are not advice; check the page itself.
Free, with a daily limit.
- City Economy and Enterprise | Chapter 6 171 Figure 6-1: Origin of Daytime Workers in Key Centres in Ireland Source: Bannon Retail Report (2020) based on CSO Data. Finally, Dublin’s labour force participation rate was 64.7% (compared to the national rate of 61.4%) and the proportion of persons over the age of 15 in the city who were at work was 56.4% (compared to 53.4% nationally). Dublin benefits from a highly educated workforce
- City Economy and Enterprise | Chapter 6 172 with 40% educated to third level or higher. It is also a digitally connected city, where 95% of households have fixed broadband. Figure 6-2 which charts the development of employment by economic sector in the Dublin Region from 2006 to 2017, indicates that the region’s economy is continuing to grow and diversify, with notable increases since 2006 in human health and social work activities, accommodation and food services activities, and in the information and communication sector. Figure 6-2: Employment by Economic Sector in Dublin (000’s) Source: Dublin City Local Economic and Community Plan 2016 – 2021 Economic Development Policy In spatial planning terms, economic policy is addressed in both the NPF and the RSES, as discussed in further detail below. At a national level, recent economic development policy is focused on supporting the economy as it emerges from the Covid emergency with an Economic Recovery Plan for Ireland announced in June 2021. The Plan notes that that the role of Dublin, as Ireland’s capital city and economic engine (generating 40% of the GDP of the state), is particularly important in this regard, and states that the government will bring forward further measures to support the recovery of city centres as the impacts of the Covid pandemic on employment and other city-based economic activities becomes clearer. On a regional level, the Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan to 2020, was launched in early 2019 by the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. The Plan aims to foster collaboration between regional stakeholders on initiatives that can help to realise each region’s enterprise development potential.
- City Economy and Enterprise | Chapter 6 173 The strategy states that Dublin, as Ireland’s capital city, has a key role in attracting FDI to the country and that it is important that Dublin continues to be a dynamic city that remains attractive for companies seeking a location of international scale for their global operations. It also notes that it is critical that the planning and development of Ireland’s capital city creates a world-class urban area that continues to attract not only international investment but also international talent. The government, along with stakeholders including Dublin City Council, is currently developing a new Regional Enterprise Plan for Dublin to 2024 in line with the National Economic Recovery Plan. As well as helping businesses rebuild after COVID-19, this updated Plan will focus on the challenges and opportunities arising from climate action and the growth of digitalisation. At a local level, the Dublin City Council Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) 2016- 2021 which was prepared by the Dublin City Local Community Development Committee and the Economic Development and Enterprise Strategic Policy Committee consists of a six-year strategy document setting out twelve key social and economic goals for the City. The vision set out in the plan is ”to grow and sustain a city based on principles of equality, social justice and environmental sustainability where the needs of thriving, active and engaged local communities are served by a strong local economy”. The Dublin City Council Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) 2023 – 2028 is due to be adopted in 2023. National and Regional Planning Policy At national level, a key strategic aim of the National Planning Framework (NPF) is “to support the future growth and success of Dublin as Ireland’s leading global city of scale, by better managing Dublin’s growth to ensure that more of it can be accommodated within and close to the city”. Supporting entrepreneurialism and building competitive clusters is encouraged and the NPF promotes compact urban growth and the development of a limited number of redevelopment and regeneration areas for continued economic growth and investment that will complement the city centre and Docklands. The NPF acknowledges that there is a need to improve housing choice, transport mobility and quality of life to ensure that the city retains its competitive advantage and that Dublin also needs to become a greener, more environmentally sustainable city in line with international competitors. These strategic themes are also reflected in the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES), which was aligned with the government’s 2015 National Enterprise Policy ‘Enterprise 2025’. As is shown in Figure 6.3 overleaf the key elements of the economic strategy set out
- City Economy and Enterprise | Chapter 6 174 in the RSES is based on smart specialisation, clustering, orderly growth, future proofing and risk management and placemaking. Figure 6-3: RSES Economic Strategy The RSES emphasises the need to increase employment in strategic locations, to provide for people-intensive employment at sustainable locations near high quality public transport nodes, to build on commercial and research synergies in proximity to large employers, industry clusters and smart specialisation and to activate strategic sites to strengthen the local employment base in commuter towns. In turn, the Metropolitan Area Spatial Plan (MASP) for Dublin (as set out in Chapter 5 of the RSES) calls for increased employment densities within Dublin City and suburbs and at other sustainable locations near high quality public transport nodes, near third level institutes and existing employment hubs, and for the relocation less intensive employment uses outside the M50 ring and existing built-up areas.
- City Economy and Enterprise | Chapter 6 175 6.2 Achievements During the period of the last development Plan, Dublin’s economy continued its recovery from the last recession and there were a number of significant achievements which have added to the economic competitiveness, attractiveness and vitality of the city. Foreign Direct Investment Significant foreign direct investment (FDI) of scale has been secured in Dublin City over the last plan period. Dublin is home to some of the most influential multinational corporations, with substantial clusters in technology, finance and professional services. Within Dublin Docklands, there are over 500 firms operating, including more than half the world’s top 50 banks and top 20 insurance companies. Dublin is also a major global hub for fund administration, aircraft leasing, insurance and a range of wholesale banking activities. A significant cluster of ICT type uses has emerged in the southeast inner city/Grand Canal Street area, following Google’s decision to locate their European headquarters in Barrow Street in 2011. The area has become home to Facebook, LinkedIn, Airbnb and Amazon. Grand Canal Innovation District The Grand Canal Innovation District (GCID) initiative was launched in 2018. The GCID is a national level €1 billion plan to create a hub for innovation world class university research facilities and a start-up ecosystem in the Grand Canals Dock, with a new TCD university campus acting as a connector. The aim of the initiative is to provide a cluster linking start-ups and growing and established enterprises with research, innovation and academia to promote sustainable economic growth, enhance competitiveness and boost FDI and to benefit the local community. SMART Districts Smart Dublin is an initiative founded by the four Dublin local authorities which brings together technology providers, academia and citizens to transform public services and enhance quality of life. In order to accelerate innovation, Smart Dublin has adopted a ‘Smart District Approach’, concentrating new technology pilots in targeted locations across Dublin. The first Smart District, Smart Docklands, was launched in 2018, with four further districts having come onstream to date; Smart DCU, Smart Sandyford, Smart Balbriggan and Smart D8. EU Programme Participation Strategy Dublin City Council recently launched its EU Programme Participation Strategy 2021 – 2027 which will support the identification of opportunities within the EU Partnership Programmes
- City Economy and Enterprise | Chapter 6 176 and Projects and EU funding streams to realise Dublin City Council priorities but also contribute to the target areas identified by the European Commission. This strategy, which builds on Dublin City Council’s track record of participation in a range of EU Programmes, will focus on the following areas: Smart & Digital, Green & Climate, Social & Economics and Urban & Regional Development. A key pillar of the strategy is the establishment of a Dublin City Council EU Programmes Office to provide efficient support services for staff participating or intending to participate in EU partnership projects. Placemaking and Branding A number of significant public realm improvement works have been implemented under the Public Realm Masterplan in addition to greening strategy interventions. Significant work has also been undertaken with regard to Place Branding with the new initiative Dublin.ie. This platform (www.dublin.ie) sets out key information regarding living, working, investing and studying in Dublin. A series of successful campaigns to encourage support for local business and to enhance citizen well-being were delivered as a recovery and resilience response to the impact of the pandemic. Dublin City Council also supports the visitor place brand www.visitdublin.ie managed by Fáilte Ireland. Regeneration and Vacancy There has been significant regeneration in Docklands (North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock area) both north and south of the river Liffey, with new office space in addition to residential and mixed use development. Poolbeg West has been designated as an SDZ and the Planning Scheme for the area proposes a significant quantum of office/enterprise space with a range of typologies to accommodate different types of uses. A strategic Study of all Z6 and Z7 lands was undertaken over the last plan period, followed by a number of variations to the current Dublin City Development Plan to facilitate the repurposing and redevelopment of these strategically located lands for more intensive and appropriate mixed use development. Sectoral Developments There has been significant investment in the tourism sector and in particular, the provision of new hotels. In addition, new tourist visitor attractions have been developed, including, the Irish Emigration Museum (EPIC) on Custom House Quay, The Vaults at John Lane West and the Tenement Museum on Henrietta Street. Fáilte Ireland initiated a number of tourism ventures of note such as the Docklands Visitor Experience Development (VEDP) Plan, a Visitor Orientation Strategy and have collaborated with Dublin City Council to develop ‘Dubline’, an international quality, walking heritage trail from Parnell Square to Kilmainham.
- City Economy and Enterprise | Chapter 6 177 In the education sector, significant recent developments include the consolidation of the TU academic facilities into the new campus at Grangegorman and the ongoing programme of investment in the DCU campus. In the healthcare and health sciences sector, the construction of the National Children’s Hospital has commenced in the St. James’s Healthcare Campus. Finally, Dublin Port continues to modernise and consolidate its operations with the company making considerable infrastructural investment at the port to facilitate larger vessels and provide for increased capacity. Local Initiatives and Economic Development A significant achievement in relation to the economic development of local communities across the city during the course of the last Development Plan period has been the implementation of the Dublin City Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) 2016–2021. The Dublin City Council Local Economic Office (LEO) are responsible for the implementation of the economic actions in the plan and have provided support to a number of projects and initiatives over the past number of years that contribute significantly to the city economy. During the Covid 19 global pandemic; the Local Enterprise Office and Economic Development supported 19,939 businesses. Dublin City Council, through their financial team and LEO Financial team administered Direct Financial Supports to the value of €107.6 million. 6.3 Challenges As a city with a growing, internationally-oriented and open economy, Dublin faces considerable challenges in maintaining economic growth. In the short to medium term, the Covid 19 crisis poses the greatest challenge to the city economy both in terms of the direct impact of business closures, but also changes in how people work, shop and relax in the city. Brexit is another external challenge which has the potential to impact on sectors which are heavily reliant on the flow of goods to and from Britain and Northern Ireland. Internal challenges include the ongoing shortage of quality affordable housing to cater for the city’s growing working population as well bottlenecks in the provision of essential transportation, water services and sanitation infrastructure. Associated with this is the need to provide a high quality environment to make the more city liveable for existing and future residents. Another challenge relates to the continuing concentrations of social and economic deprivation in some parts of the city and the need to progress the redevelopment of key regeneration sites in the city. This challenge highlights the need to support inclusive growth throughout the region, particularly in deprived or underperforming areas, to ensure an
- City Economy and Enterprise | Chapter 6 178 appropriately qualified and skilled workforce, to improve levels of female participation in the workforce and to address pockets of deprivation and economic inequality in the city. In the longer term, climate change may have significant impacts in terms of extreme weather events and flooding which could disrupt economic activity and damage critical infrastructure. 6.4 Strategic Approach The strategic approach to the city economy and enterprise set out in this chapter aligns with the overall goals of national, regional and local economic and planning policy outlined above. As a result, the strategic approach underpinning the policies and objectives contained in the following section of this chapter will seek to: ▪ safeguard and enhance Dublin’s role as Ireland’s internationally competitive capital and global gateway to the region and state; ▪ promote strategic and targeted employment growth; ▪ support regeneration and tackle vacancy; ▪ underscore the importance of climate action, placemaking and quality of life; ▪ support key economic sectors; and ▪ support innovation and smart specialisation; ▪ foster local action, diversity, inclusiveness and openness. This strategic approach also forms part of an overall spatial strategy for the development of the economy of Dublin City in the context of the wider Dublin metropolitan region, as is discussed in the next section. 6.5 Policies and Objectives 6.5.1 Ireland’s Internationally Competitive Capital Dublin’s crucial economic role is recognised in the NPF which states that Dublin is Ireland’s globally competitive city of scale and continues to drive much of the growth of the country as a whole while the RSES describes the city as an international business core with a highly concentrated and diversified employment base and higher order retail, arts, culture and leisure offer. It is of central importance that Dublin’s role as the national economic engine is not only protected but also further enhanced during the period of this Development Plan. In addition to catering for the needs of Foreign Direct Investment, the need for ongoing support for Irish owned enterprises and SMEs will be important to ensure that the City builds resilience in the enterprise sector so that it can evolve and adapt to the ever changing global economic environment and technological changes. It is acknowledged that the creation of an ecosystem of innovative start-ups, social enterprises, micro-businesses and small businesses will be central to Dublin’s continued
- City Economy and Enterprise | Chapter 6 179 economic success and the Council will seek, where possible, to promote the development of skills and entrepreneurship, sites for high tech and potential start-ups, smart city programmes and collaboration between public bodies, industries and research. The central part Dublin plays in the ‘all-island’ economy is also recognised in the NPF, RSES, and more recently in a specific initiative which aims to further develop the Dublin to Belfast Economic Corridor11 (www.dbec.ie). As noted in the RSES, the Corridor has the capacity to provide the only potential paired city growth pole of scale on the Island- reaching a European benchmark 5 million population target to compete with similar city regions in the EU. Given the significant changes in international relations associated with the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, it is increasingly important that Ireland as a whole and Dublin City in particular, seeks to reposition itself as a key member of the EU while retaining strong and mutually beneficial economic ties to UK. The recent launch of Dublin City Council’s EU Programme Participation Strategy 2021 – 2027 which provides for the establishment of a Dublin City Council EU Programmes Office represents an important element of the city’s overall strategy to position itself as an internationally competitive, European capital city. It is the Policy of Dublin City Council: CEE1 Dublin’s Role as the National Economic Engine (i) To promote and enhance the role of Dublin as the national economic engine and driver of economic recovery and growth, with the city centre as its core economic generator. (ii) To promote and facilitate Dublin as a creative and innovative city that is globally competitive, internationally linked, attractive and open. (iii) To promote an internationalisation strategy building mutually-beneficial economic and other links with key cities globally to encourage investment and tourism in Dublin. CEE2 Positive Approach to the Economic Impact of Applications To take a positive and proactive approach when considering the economic impact of major planning applications in order to support economic development, enterprise and employment growth and also to deliver highquality outcomes. 11 See Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor (2021) The Dublin–Belfast Economic Corridor: Current Profile, Potential for Recovery and Opportunities for Cooperation.
- City Economy and Enterprise | Chapter 6 180 It is the Policy of Dublin City Council: CEE3 Promoting and Facilitating Foreign Direct Investment (i) To promote and facilitate foreign direct investment into the city by working closely with the IDA and other agencies, and having regard to the needs of international investment. (ii) To recognise that there is a role for Dublin City Council in establishing a positive and attractive ‘brand’ for the city and in facilitating investment in the ongoing growth and regeneration of the city. CEE4 Promoting and Facilitating Indigenous Enterprise Growth To support the creation of an ecosystem of innovative start-ups, social enterprise, micro-business and small business and, where possible, to promote the development of skills and entrepreneurship, sites for high tech and potential start-ups, smart city programmes and collaboration between public bodies, industries and research. CEE5 Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor To build on and promote the Dublin–Belfast economic corridor in order to maximise the advantages of north–south links and the development of an all- Ireland economy. CEE6 Dublin as an EU Capital City To support the implementation of the Dublin City Council’s EU Programme Participation Strategy 2021 – 2027 and the work of the Council’s EU Programmes Office. 6.5.2 Strategic and Targeted Employment Growth In order to maximise the potential of Dublin as a whole, it will be necessary to ensure the strategic and targeted growth of employment in specific areas of the city. This is in line with the NPF which emphasises the importance of identifying locations where enterprises can access competitively priced development lands, utilities and commercial properties to the highest standards available internationally. Strategic Development Areas and Corridors Following on from this, the RSES and the MASP identified four strategic residential and employment development areas and corridors in the Dublin metropolitan area to create sustainable compact communities and employment. The criteria for identifying the corridors involved a selection of strategic development opportunities identified by local authorities and included an evidence-based analysis of their current and future development capacity and their potential to deliver agreed strategic outcomes.
Source Dublin City Council: Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume 1: Written Statement (as varied by Variations Nos. 1–11) (2022–2028) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.